Where cars are concerned, desirability very often revolves around the notion of rarity. For the uninitiated, however, the idea of a Beetle being rare may seem an odd concept, considering that the Bug sold in larger numbers than even Henry Ford's Model T. But nothing could be further from the truth. To a great extent, the vintage Beetle and restoration scene thrives on the idea of rarity, which stems from the huge variety of specifications produced by VW and the fact that Ferdinand Porsche started his ideas for the Beetle back in the late 1920s.
Another factor that has lead to the thriving vintage scene is the Bug's phenomenal sales success. Huge numbers of cars were built in the fifties and sixties, and a great many have survived to this day. Because the Bug was built in such vast numbers, there are enough parts in circulation to make restoration far from an impossible task. Even the rarest items still can be found and bought - at a price.
What makes the vintage Beetle so popular is difficult to determine. In fact, when it was introduced, the Bug was considered an odd-looking little car with, on the face of it, very little potential for world-wide appeal. Yet people fell in love with it and it duly took its place in history. Part of the car's attraction, in vintage form, was its almost human personality - it oozes character and charm. These qualities have become even more of a contributory factor in the nineties, as new cars become increasingly similar, antiseptic and downright boring.
There have always been high quality original Beetles for the simple fact that there have always been people who have bought Bugs new and looked after their cars with a passion. Again, this was a relatively easy thing to do because of the availability of cheap parts and that Beetles are so easy to work on. These were and are the people who simply think that a Beetle is a fun car to own and drive. The arrival of the custom/Cal scene boosted the Beetle's cause and underline the fact that a Beetle was a cool car to own. Then, as the Cal scene developed, people got into resto-Cals, and soon the vintage Bug got a hold of people's imaginations - the Beetle became a cool car in stock or restored form.
The vintage scene, like customising, attracts no particular kind of person, and the cars are as unique as the person who own them. One reason for the popularity of the vintage Bug could be its association with the fifties and all the connotations that go with that era. The fifties were very positive years, coming after the hardships of World War Two. While it didn't follow the extravagance of many cars that came out of that decade - especially from the American manufacturers - the Beetle represents much of the freewheeling positive feel of that decade. The vintage Beetle represents a simpler, less complicated time, and for many this is all important. What's certainly true about the vintage scene, as it is about most other aspects of owning a Bug, is that it's about lifestyle.
Owning a Bug is more than simply owning a means of transport, and the people who restore or run original Beetles buy into a total experience.
Of course, there is more than just emotion involved in owning and restoring a vintage Beetle - there is a practical side, too. Restoring a Beetle makes a lot of sense. It also makes financial sense, as a Bug is more likely to hold it's value than a new car. Parts are also easy to come by through an infrastructure of suppliers and workshops that exist in almost every country where the Beetle was sold. As the years roll by and the number of Beetles inevitably dwindles, what constitutes a vintage Beetle will change. The day will come when cars from the seventies will be classed as vintage, but not for a long time yet. Today, the oval- and split-window Bugs fit the bill.
Those outside the Beetle scene may question what it is that attracts people to vintage Bugs - what it is that holds their interest, because once you've seen one restored Bug, you've seen them all, right? Wrong!
VW was constantly changing the Bug's specifications, and the fact that the company chose not to equip its cars with very important pieces of equipment, such as fuel gauges, meant that companies sprang up offering a huge range of aftermarket parts. These, together with the varying factory specifications, make it possible to build a vintage Bug, using period parts only, that is authentic and unique. Tracking down the parts can become as obsessional as actually building the car, trips to auto jumbles, swap meets, and shows, adding spice to the experience.
People own and restore vintage Beetles for many reasons, but underlying them all is the simple fact that whether it be through looks, its sound or its feel, the car just connects with a great many people on a subconscious level. Some may say that they restore vintage Bugs because they are practical or economical, but when you get right down to it, people just fall in love with a Beetle, and an older car makes for a great alternative.
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